South Colonie elementary and middle school students in the district's summertime special needs program experience art classes once a week just like during the regular school year. Thomasa Nielsen is the art teacher. Two of the art lessons are featured in this photo gallery. In the first lesson, elementary students are challenged to recognize common shapes and find them mixed among other objects. The lessons differ depending on the ages of the children. Photos 1-10 show the students sorting out shapes that are mixed in rice. The students already have the shapes they need to find in their hand, but they have to find matching shapes within the rice. After they find and match the shapes, they have the option of either making designs using those shapes or making specific things that include the shapes. In another summer art lesson, special needs students at both the elementary and middle school level draw self portraits, using a combination of pencil and crayon. First they lie down on a large piece of paper while an adult traces the exterior shape of their heads. The students then use their imaginations to add their own facial features, hair and clothing to their artwork. Their finished work is featured in photos 11-18.